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* T A Y L O R O L O G Y *
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* A Continuing Exploration of the Life and Death of William Desmond Taylor *
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* *
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* Issue 78 -- June 1999 Editor: Bruce Long bruce@asu.edu *
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* TAYLOROLOGY may be freely distributed *
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CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE:
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Contemporary Reviews of Films Directed by William Desmond Taylor, Part II
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What is TAYLOROLOGY?
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TAYLOROLOGY is a newsletter focusing on the life and death of William Desmond
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Taylor, a top Paramount film director in early Hollywood who was shot to
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death on February 1, 1922. His unsolved murder was one of Hollywood's major
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scandals. This newsletter will deal with: (a) The facts of Taylor's life;
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(b) The facts and rumors of Taylor's murder; (c) The impact of the Taylor
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murder on Hollywood and the nation; (d) Taylor's associates and the Hollywood
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silent film industry in which Taylor worked. Primary emphasis will be given
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toward reprinting, referencing and analyzing source material, and sifting it
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for accuracy.
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William T. Sherman's web site devoted to Mabel Normand has moved to
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http://www.angelfire.com/mn/hp
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Contemporary Reviews of Films Directed by William Desmond Taylor, Part II
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The following is another sampling of contemporary reviews of Taylor's
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films, spanning his career as film director. Some of the reviews have been
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edited to remove lengthy plot summaries, cast listings, etc. More reviews
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can be found in TAYLOROLOGY 24.
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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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The Criminal Code
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October 31, 1914
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MOTION PICTURE NEWS
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A melodrama of unusual excellence. The plot possesses much more novelty
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than is often found in this type of picture, besides avoiding many of the
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situations which are so often present in melodrama. Besides the plot, the
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general good sense which has been shown in producing the picture adds much to
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its attractiveness. Anyone who will study a film of this sort can see at a
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glance that many of the flagrant errors which frequently mar what might be
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excellent productions can be avoided very simply. It does not require genius
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so much as it requires what is commonly called horse sense. In "The Criminal
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Code" it can be said that there is not a single setting which is not a good
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representation of whatever is supposed to be represented. This, it need
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hardly be stated, partakes almost of the nature of a triumph. Even a large
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reception and dance at the home of a man of wealth and refinement is well
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staged amidst surroundings indicative of fairly good taste. The exteriors
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are all well handled. Full advantage has been taken of the California
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sunlight and scenery. Among the particularly striking views are those which
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show the hero fishing in a small stream. William D. Taylor and Neva Gerber
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in the leading roles do acting which is in keeping with the other good points
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of the picture, and the general result is a happy one...
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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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An Eye for an Eye
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January 16, 1915
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MOTION PICTURE NEWS
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This is a story the scenes of which are laid in the West, but which is
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not essentially Western in plot, as it deals with one of the all too
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frequently occurring cases of a scoundrel and an innocent and credulous girl.
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The scenes depict wide extremes, some of them showing the simple wholesome
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life of a big Western ranch, while others deal with the garish and artificial
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existence of giddy pleasure seekers in a large city. For the most part they
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are well arranged, and have a convincing atmosphere. The most important
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roles are those of Elsie, the sister of the unfortunate ranch girl, and Dave
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Harman, her sweetheart, and the foreman of the ranch. The first of these is
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played by Neva Gerber, who invests the part with considerable charm. William
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Taylor, as the foreman, plays with his customary vigor, and in the convincing
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manner which he has shown on former occasions...
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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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The Last Chapter
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January 23, 1915
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MOVING PICTURE WORLD
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It seems that Richard H. Davis wrote a story of broken love and called
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it "The Unfinished Story," in which he left the last chapter to the reader's
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imagination. The Favorite Players, with the help of a scenario by Richard
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Willis, have made this story into a five-reel picture that supplies the happy
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ending. It was directed by William D. Taylor and features Carlyle Blackwell
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in the leading role, a masculine, red-blooded character, ideal lover in his
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combination of truth, strength and character. It is primarily a picture of
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adventure in Africa; but the last part which, as we have noted, was written
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directly for a picture, brings the center of attention to the love story
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where it belongs. There is little dramatic quality in the girl's experiences
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while the man is away on his first adventure. The early scenes, it must be
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confessed, use too much film in registering merely that the man and the girl
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meet; that he is not a society man, but a virile doer of things, and that the
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girl, tired of her other lovers, falls in love with him. Then he is put at
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the head of an expedition into Africa and the lovers sadly part. We now have
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some good adventure incidents in the wilds. Many of the director's scenes in
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this part of the story are full of merit, looked at for action or picturesque
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effect. There are bits here that will excite enthusiasm. It is skillfully
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registered that the man is reported as dead and his papers are sent to the
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girl. He makes his way through the jungle and reaches London. By chance the
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girl and he meet there; but they don't shake hands. We don't know what among
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many possibilities causes this. He is much disappointed in her--perhaps he
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thought her engaged to another man--returns to Africa. She--perhaps she had
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though her love for him dead--wakes up a few weeks later and follows him
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across the sea. From this point on to their meeting there is good suspense,
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in spite of a few weak points, a truly fresh and interesting action, and many
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good things...The photography and scene making are excellent.
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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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The High Hand
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March 30, 1915
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MOVING PICTURE WORLD
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A picture that we can safely term as better than the average has been
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turned out by the Favorite Players company from Jacques Futrelle's story of
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political life. Its hero is a labor leader who makes a successful fight
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against entrenched graft and wins the girl of his choice from his dishonest
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opponent. That he himself feeling unable to cope with the political
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conditions by open-handed methods stoops to do the same kind of dirty work
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that his opponents do, even with the clean purpose of doing away with bad
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conditions, is the story's most hampering burden. In real life the man might
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have done just that; but in this particular story our interest in him is the
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less on account of it; chiefly because we must count him less worthy of
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success and of the girl. It is a beautifully staged picture, and there is
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very little of the acting that is not pleasing; much of it is good. The
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story does not convince one as more than perhaps possible; but it is free
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from foolish straining after melodramatic "effects" and, with its quite
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plausible love interest, its naturally directed, straightforward narrative
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holds interest. The plot is carefully constructed and builds up to the close
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without failure or anticlimax. One of the beauties of the offering is its
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convincing atmosphere, given by its well-chosen backgrounds and perfect sets.
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The lifelike, artistic photography helps not a little in the offering's final
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score of entertainment. Among its specially interesting elements are the
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foundry scenes taken in some big steel plant and showing, as backgrounds for
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the early life of its hero, the great machine tools at which he works, the
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pouring of molten metal and the flying sparks that in the dusky shop scatter
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from the whirling emory wheels biting into the steel. There is a picture, in
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the later part of the story, of a millionaire's library full of dignified
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taste. The mob scene near the close was taken on the stone steps of the
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State Capitol at Sacramento, California. We also see glimpses of the
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legislative chamber. Seaside backgrounds and bits of mountain scenery add
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their bit to the whole. And all are perfectly in keeping and beautifully
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taken. An acceptable feature offering.
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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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The Soul of the Vase
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June 19, 1915
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MOVING PICTURE WORLD
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An odd and somewhat mystical offering, with Beatrice Van, David Lythgoe
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and Joseph Harris in the cast. The young wife, tempted by an admirer,
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remains true to her husband. Her soul is seen to enter into the vase which
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he has been trying to perfect. There is a certain vagueness in the closing
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scenes, but the production has a pleasing imaginative touch and holds the
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interest.
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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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He Fell In Love With His Wife
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February 26, 1916
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MOVING PICTURE WORLD
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Some of the old stories film well. "He Fell in Love With His Wife"
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contains a situation that has been overlooked in the mad rush for something
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new in the line of picture stories. It has been produced by Wm. D. Taylor,
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with Florence Rockwell and Forrest Stanley in the principle roles; and in
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spite of a defect or two, such as the failure of James Holcroft to unhitch
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his horse and put it in the stable on the night when he dismissed Bridget
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Malony, the production will be found to be an especially pleasing adaption of
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the E. P. Roe novel. It might also be argued that too much film has been
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expended on Holcroft's experimenting with housekeepers. One of the best
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types in the play is the daughter of Mrs. Mumpson, a former housekeeper.
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This backward girl, who has run away from a mother quite as eccentric as
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herself, becomes a servant in the Holcroft home, and proves to be the
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important link in a chain of circumstances. A splendid portrayal of the
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character has been given in the Pallas production. The photographic effects
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obtained in the nights scenes immediately following Alida's hurried departure
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from the home of William Ostrom, whose wife she had believed herself to be,
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are remarkable. The play has been dressed in modern style, but as the story
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is one that might belong to any period, this can hardly be counted a
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defect...
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February 26, 1916
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NEW YORK DRAMATIC MIRROR
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Truly rural atmosphere, most realistic in every detail surrounds the
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homely melodramatic plot of "He Fell in Love with His Wife." Realism is
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synonymous with efficient direction and it is the keynote of this entire
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production; we almost imagine that we can smell the clover and hay in the
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broad sweeps of picturesque landscape. The night storm scenes just after
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Alida leaves her home are fairly marvelous, so excellent are they that it
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takes an expert to determine whether they have been staged or not...The plot
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gives opportunity for some good thrills, but it is lacking in continuous
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intensity, some parts being especially drawn out.
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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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Ben Blair
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March 18, 1916
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MOVING PICTURE WORLD
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"Ben Blair," in its original form, was a western romance written by Will
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Lillibridge. The five-reel photoplay version, produced by the Pallas
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Pictures Company, is a work of even merit. The opening incidents, showing
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the boyhood of the hero, are novel, human and woven together with strong
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dramatic effect...Up to the time that Ben lands in New York, the events
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surrounding his love story are convincing and agreeable, but both the author
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and his leading character are out of their element in the big city, and the
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picture does not then make as favorable an impression as in the earlier
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scenes. Dustin Farnum found the character of Ben Blair easily within his
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grasp. He was a dashing western hero, but his playing lacked somewhat the
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sincerity that made his performance of the Virginian so fine an
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achievement...A mead of unstinted praise should go to young Gordon Griffith,
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who played Ben in his youthful days. The lad was called upon to express the
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deepest feelings of the heart, and revealed remarkable emotional powers and
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equally meritorious acting ability. The producer and cameraman are to be
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congratulated upon the results of their endeavors.
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March 11, 1916
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NEW YORK DRAMATIC MIRROR
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"Ben Blair" is an entertaining picture, even though it does not carry
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its opening tensity through to the finish, but it does serve to introduce to
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the public a boy marvel, Gordon Griffith. This youngster, who is only about
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eight years old, handles a most difficult role like a veteran star. His
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facial expressions are great, and his emotions seem to come right from the
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heart. This boy brings out all the pathos in the picture, as the
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illegitimate child forced to bear and witness the brutal attacks of a drink-
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besodden father. Without a doubt this role is the most important in the
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entire production, even surpassing in effectiveness Ben Blair in manhood,
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which Dustin Farnum plays. The latter part is crude in its construction and
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offers Mr. Farnum little opportunity for any varied acting...At the beginning
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the story gives promise of being quite intensive and unusual, but toward the
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middle it evolves into commonplace society drama, and in places it is
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somewhat unreal in its hypothesis. For instance the little boy, Tom Blair,
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saves his life by creeping into a tunnel when his father sets fire to the
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house to burn the body of his illegitimate wife. In any ordinary course of
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circumstances this youngster would have been suffocated but he comes out and
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is rescued by a farmer, John Rankin, who afterwards adopts him...
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March 18, 1916
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MOTION PICTURE NEWS
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Dustin Farnum is ushered on to the Paramount program once more via "Ben
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Blair." The picture possesses a number of distinct merits, such as
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magnificent photography and scenes, most of which are laid in a West that is
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truly wild, and the settings leave nothing at all to be desired. "Ben
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Blair," taken in a dramatic way, is not what we have been accustomed to
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expect from the studios of the Pallas company. "Ben Blair" is based on a
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novel, and evidently the novel was of that sort which contains a number of
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themes, each one just about as important as the other and each one demanding
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new and distinct interest. The scenario writer has obviously pictured the
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material without much change, and the result is that again we have a picture
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in several episodes, quite disconnected. Some of the big moments of the
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picture fail to ring true. For instance take that one in which Ben Blair, by
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the sheer power of his personality forces his sweetheart to forsake her city
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lover and return with him to the West. Blair proves nothing against his
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rival, and why the girl should submit to his personality is not made
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clear...Director William D. Taylor's work is not of the sort that we can
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commend. There are a number of slips throughout the five reels that affect
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the continuity of the action. In the matter of locations, however, he has
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done very well indeed...
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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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Pasquale
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May 27, 1916
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MOVING PICTURE WORLD
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It is a picture to touch the heart, this five-reel offering, "Pasquale,"
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with George Beban in the leading role. It is a Paramount release and was
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made by the Oliver Morosco Photoplay Company. Mr. Beban, with the help of
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Lawrence McCloskey, developed the story from a slight incident, one of those
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he has been telling in the Italian dialect, but it has been filled with
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unexpected and thoroughly delightful touches of human understanding and
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sympathy, bits often times of sheer inspiration. The best thing about the
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picture is that the chief characters affect you as real human beings; you
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can't resist them. The best of them, by all odds, are Pasquale, by Beban,
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and Margarita, by Helen Eddy, but all the others are good, too. The main
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thread of the plot is slight, yet compact with emotion of the sincerest and
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broadest kind. To bolster this is a secondary plot, very melodramatic and
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fashioned to fit the taste of the day. These two are ably knit. The second
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helps the first to its happy ending and keeps it from being truthful. We
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will say no more of this secondary plot--it was written to fit the audience
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and will be acceptable. The first, baring the effect of the second upon it,
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is dignified, as worthy as the daylight is, and full of poetry...W. D. Taylor
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directed the picture and we see an able hand at work in it...The photoplay is
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excellent and the novel and artistic method of presenting the leaders is
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commendable. There are some scenes showing the great war in Europe, and they
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not only fit the story perfectly, but are as realistic as scenes cut from
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recent topical. It is a good offering.
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May 20, 1916
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NEW YORK DRAMATIC MIRROR
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Artistic and realistic, "Pasquale" depended much upon these qualities
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for its successful picturization. With numerous shades from the sublimely
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pathetic to the striking spectacular, the successful scenes have all been
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handled in a most capable fashion. The realistic home-like touches
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introduced by the animals, a horse and duck, have seldom been excelled. The
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story, however, which deals with the life of two Italians in America, one a
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wealthy banker and the other a peddler, has ended the double triangle with
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four major characters; and, as it is usual in this case, the plot lacks
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decided depth due to the various forces working in parallel lines with
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incidents in the two families used to connect them and develops the plot
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along natural lines...The story, however, well serves its purpose as a
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background for Mr. Beban's artistic portrayal of the remarkable Italian
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trader, Pasquale. All the trite, human incidents which would tend to make
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this character realistic and sympathetic have been introduced...In the
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picturization after the two Italians have left this country to go to war,
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there are some remarkable battle scenes shown. A number of them were staged
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for this purpose and a number were imported from Europe. War and its
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gruesomeness is present, yet in the strife of the trenches the kind-hearted
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Pasquale cannot find courage enough to kill a man, but boots him out of the
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trench instead. There are also some marvelous scenes of the Zeppelin raids,
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with shells bursting in the air above the visitors. Broken and wounded,
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these men and their compatriots return home to find what were once happy
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homes wrecks...The photography throughout the picture is of the highest
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quality, and very pleasing effects have been obtained by introducing the sub-
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titles on descriptive backgrounds. This is one of the most effective means
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of introducing titles, and we are glad to see other firms utilizing it.
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May 27, 1916
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MOTION PICTURE NEWS
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"Pasquale" is a vehicle for George Beban's sure-fire ability in the
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delineation of Italian character. It will win for him increased favor with
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picturegoers, because its story gives him full scope in the closely
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associated regions of laughter and tears...When Beban holds the screen, there
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is no doubt about the appeal of the picture, and fortunately we have enough
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Beban to offset a conventional subplot which depicts a dissatisfied wife in
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the toils of an affair with a young society man. The subject also suffers
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from actionless introductory scenes, and repetition of incident. On the
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other hand, it has some very well directed battle scenes, for Pasquale heeds
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his country's call, and fights until he is disabled and returned to America.
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The atmosphere is excellent, save for a single scene which attempts to
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represent an Italian hospital but fails to do so...Summed up, "Pasquale" is a
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distinctive film, because of the way in which it has been handled by Mr.
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Beban. The direction by William D. Taylor is competent at all points.
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May 30, 1916
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LOS ANGELES TIMES
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..."Pasquale" has a fragile spirituality and a fragrance of romance
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that stamp it as something far superior to the average motion picture script.
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It has a touch of light fancy and delicate beauty that is not unlike
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something by Barrie. Were it not so finely enacted and so beautifully
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photographed, I would think it an extravagance of art to lavish its sweetness
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upon anything so fleeting as the screen. There is much in it belonging to
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the permanance of letters and drama...
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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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The American Beauty
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July 8, 1916
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MOVING PICTURE WORLD
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Among the not very many basic plots there are one or two that may be
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counted choice. It is dangerous to speak for that hard-to-gauge spectator...
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but he has been found taking much pleasure from his earliest days in the many
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variations of Cinderella, or captured princess story. Here it is again in
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the Pallas five-reel film, "The American Beauty," in which the rich man's
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baby is lost and brought up by a very poor family. A princess in disguise--
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and we are all royal when we're young--she has the hard experiences of the
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poor and the tears, yet has not only the true heart worthy of the coronet but
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lives with fate always waiting the chance to bring all the world's good
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things to her--including love. One will find the story more and more
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interesting from first to the last due to the director's carefully
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constructive approach to the climax and due to his skill in using the homely
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emotions. It opens with a fire at sea and the upsetting of a boat filled
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with women and children which is not realistic at all; but all the other
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incidents the director has made plausible...Myrtle Stedman in the double role
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of mother who loses her baby and of the grown-up daughter, puts her usual
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sincerity and ability to the picture's advantage...The photography is of high
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grade. William D. Taylor was the director.
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July 1, 1916
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NEW YORK DRAMATIC MIRROR
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"The American Beauty" abounds in scenes of a most picturesque variety
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enhanced by excellent perspective and good photography. The natural beauty
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of the rocky coast, and the fishing boats are especially fine, while the
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views of the burning ship at sea are thrillingly realistic. The interiors
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are lavish in their construction and furnishings, especially those of the
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Lorrimer home. If the story were not so superficial, or if the picture in
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its present state were cut so that it would not drag, the production would
|
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rank among the best, for it is artistic and beautiful. The ending is far too
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obvious to create any suspense and there is little action other than that
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which occurs in a few of the big situations...There are some remarkably
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clever double exposures used in connection with the dual roles of Myrtle
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Stedman. In one place it has been overdone as the daughter's body can be
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seen through the hand of the mother. This is the only error in photography
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throughout the picture.
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|
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July 8, 1916
|
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MOTION PICTURE NEWS
|
|
There is enough of originality of plot, drama, beauty and artistry to
|
|
make this a good picture. It has been carefully scenarioized and produced,
|
|
and the cast is capable, from Myrtle Stedman down to the silent and
|
|
motionless beauties who play the heavy thinking parts of artists' models, but
|
|
certainly do embellish the screen. Although the atmosphere and story are as
|
|
old as romance itself, there are unique situations, and skillful construction
|
|
which has brought all the better part to the surface. Much credit is due
|
|
William D. Taylor for his direction. The interior sets and lighting are up
|
|
to the standard which we have recently learned to expect from these
|
|
studios...
|
|
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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
|
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|
|
Davy Crockett
|
|
July 29, 1916
|
|
MOVING PICTURE WORLD
|
|
The portrayal on the screen of "Davy Crockett," a play made famous on
|
|
the American stage more than a generation ago by Frank Mayo, results in a
|
|
successful production from the pictorial viewpoint. "Davy Crockett," as
|
|
Pallas Pictures released it on July 13, is a pretty picture. Dustin Farnum
|
|
in the role of the frontiersman is a factor in himself; and he is surrounded
|
|
by a good cast. The subject measurably interests, but with one or two
|
|
exceptions it reaches no particular dramatic heights. Mr. Farnum makes a
|
|
striking figure in his early eighteenth century border garb. He shows to no
|
|
better advantage than when mounted on a spirited horse. His physique and his
|
|
art combine to make an effective characterization. Winifred Kingston in the
|
|
role of Eleanor Vaughn, the sweetheart of Davy, is convincing in her girlish
|
|
simplicity. Herbert Standing as Hector Royston, the representative of Vaughn
|
|
and the guardian of Eleanor, gives a strong performance. Lydia Yeamans
|
|
Titus, the old favorite, is a motherly Mrs. Crockett. Page Peters is shown
|
|
as Neil Crampton, and his impersonation of the "heavy" role takes on a
|
|
pathetic and an unusual interest by reason of his recent accidental death by
|
|
drowning. The picture is staged by William Taylor. Mr. Taylor has selected
|
|
beautiful spots for his backgrounds, the full quality of which Cameraman
|
|
Scott has brought out. There are views of woods, mountains and landscape.
|
|
One of the interesting features, especially for the present showing, is a
|
|
regular snowstorm, the ground being covered knee depth. "Davy Crockett" will
|
|
make good entertainment.
|
|
|
|
July 22, 1916
|
|
NEW YORK DRAMATIC MIRROR
|
|
The majesty and grandeur of nature, the masterpiece of God's creation,
|
|
stands forth in all its beauty as if done by the hand of a master painter in
|
|
"Davy Crockett." Seldom have we seen more perfect photography and it is a
|
|
positive joy to witness the rapid succession of everchanging scenes radiant
|
|
with nature's glory. The pine forest with its shimmering mantle of snow, the
|
|
ruddy dawn on the mountain top and the vale with the majestic mountains in
|
|
the background form a series of pictures which seem to be paintings taken
|
|
from the walls of an art gallery rather than the art of a motion picture
|
|
photographer. The credit for the success of this production will not rest
|
|
upon the author or the players but upon the photographer, Homer Scott, and
|
|
the director, William Taylor, whose apparent appreciation of the beautiful
|
|
will gain him the respect of all the motion picture critics. It is such a
|
|
rare things to see the work of a director who has an eye to nature's charm
|
|
that it is possible to overlook other weaknesses in his case. In this
|
|
picture he has permitted several of his players to get a bit mechanical at
|
|
times, but this fault is none too plainly discernible...The perfection in
|
|
photography and settings is almost nullified by a mediocre story. "Davy
|
|
Crockett" may have been a fine play but it is a conventional drama without
|
|
suspense on the screen. After the first few scenes the end can be easily
|
|
foretold...Dustin Farnum is acceptable as the back-woodsman, Davy Crockett,
|
|
and Herbert Standing, Howard Davies and the remainder of the cast give him
|
|
excellent support. Winifred Kingston, while her work is pleasing, puts a
|
|
little too much affectation in her smile which gives her performance an air
|
|
of artificiality.
|
|
|
|
July 29, 1916
|
|
MOTION PICTURE NEWS
|
|
A romantic "Davy Crockett," suggesting not at all the sturdy
|
|
frontiersman who went to his death in the Alamo, is depicted here. Except
|
|
for the fact that the story is based upon a reported incident in Crockett's
|
|
life, wherein he, like Lochinvar, is said to have borne away his bride on a
|
|
dashing steed, the picture might have been built around almost any other
|
|
costume-period hero. But the atmosphere and the qualities of light romance
|
|
have been brought out in a pleasing and effective way so far as details of
|
|
production are concerned. The film is beautiful scenically. Its picturesque
|
|
backgrounds, its mountains, fields and streams are rendered through excellent
|
|
photography, with the aid of fine tinting. The most spectacular scene is a
|
|
raging snowstorm up in the mountains, and this is an unusual bit of realism,
|
|
which, for its kind, has probably never been surpassed. For these and other
|
|
evidences of painstaking direction, credit goes at once to Director William
|
|
Taylor, who had a valuable ally in his cameraman, Homer Scott. Dustin Farnum
|
|
sticks closely to the matinee-idol conception in rendering the character of
|
|
Crockett, and plays in his accustomed style. There is a lack of intensity
|
|
about him which has its reflection in a lack of intensity in the action...
|
|
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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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|
The Parson of Panamint
|
|
September 2, 1916
|
|
MOVING PICTURE WORLD
|
|
Without casting any reflections on other productions of recent issue, it
|
|
may be confidently asserted that it is some time since exhibitors have been
|
|
offered a Pallas picture so thoroughly good in all respects as "The Parson of
|
|
Panamint," written by Peter B. Kyne and directed by William D. Taylor, with
|
|
Dustin Farnum in the title role. It scores on practically every point that
|
|
contributes to a popular photoplay. There is a very human story, easily
|
|
followed and interesting; the atmosphere of a western frontier town is caught
|
|
to perfection, the characters are deftly drawn and in the leading role, that
|
|
of a parson typifying muscular Christianity, we have Dustin Farnum, as virile
|
|
and manly an actor as the screen possesses. It will be a cold audience,
|
|
indeed, that does not applaud "The Parson of Panamint."...
|
|
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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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|
The House of Lies
|
|
September 23, 1916
|
|
MOVING PICTURE WORLD
|
|
A picture of high romantic ideals and of that state of heart that
|
|
Tennyson said was better than Norman blood or coronets is, in the latest
|
|
Oliver Morosco production, drawn against a background of utter selfishness
|
|
and decadent folly. The film is called "The House of Lies." Its charm comes
|
|
not so much from the strength of the plot as from the beauty of its scenes
|
|
and the beautiful sentiments it expresses...
|
|
|
|
September 23, 1916
|
|
NEW YORK DRAMATIC MIRROR
|
|
A problem play based on a modern version of the old slave markets, "The
|
|
House of Lies" is one of the strongest and best pictures ever produced by
|
|
Morosco. The falsity of society, its inconsistencies, and the mockery for
|
|
appearance's sake form the basis of a well-constructed and logical plot. It
|
|
is subtly satirical in its import. The very characters show plainly the sham
|
|
of appearance but the leading character, Edna Coleman, shows what is beneath
|
|
a superficial exterior by her refusal to consent to a loveless marriage. She
|
|
is step-daughter in a wealthy family and, because of her beauty, is put up
|
|
for sale to the highest bidder. Edna Goodrich essays this role and she has
|
|
the natural beauty typical for such a part. She acts with repression and her
|
|
work is at all times convincing and pleasing. The supporting cast,
|
|
especially Herbert Standing, is quite effective in the various roles. The
|
|
production has the usual finish of Morosco productions and the camera work is
|
|
especially notable. The views are so clear, defined and even in tone that
|
|
some of them appear more like painting than the art of the motion picture
|
|
photographer. The exterior settings are unusually beautiful and the garden
|
|
party and open air theater are among the finest of their type. Artificiality
|
|
which is almost always present in these scenes is entirely lacking.
|
|
Judicious use of tinting has greatly enhanced the effectiveness of the
|
|
picture.
|
|
|
|
|
|
September 23, 1916
|
|
MOTION PICTURE NEWS
|
|
It is unfortunate that a picture so well acted and so well directed as
|
|
"The House of Lies" should have such an unreal and wholly impossible story as
|
|
a foundation. Furthermore the story is poorly constructed from a technical
|
|
standpoint. It requires four reels for the two leading characters to meet.
|
|
At the beginning of the fifth reel the meeting is brought about, and during
|
|
the last five hundred feet the man discovers the beautiful soul of the girl,
|
|
falls in love with it, and the picture closes with a wedding. This is indeed
|
|
quick work even for moving pictures...The falsity and unreality of the story
|
|
is readily apparent. The picture has been beautifully produced, however,
|
|
with a wealth of beautiful settings and locations. William D. Taylor, the
|
|
director, has accomplished a fine piece of work from a technical standpoint.
|
|
Edna Goodrich in the leading role was effective throughout, her extreme
|
|
beauty registering most effectively...The lighting and photography were most
|
|
excellent.
|
|
|
|
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
|
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|
|
Her Father's Son
|
|
October 14, 1916
|
|
NEW YORK DRAMATIC MIRROR
|
|
A vivacious star, local color in plenty and the usual finished Morosco
|
|
settings and photography combine to make "Her Father's Son" an acceptable
|
|
picture. The settings of the Civil War period are picturesque and the
|
|
interiors among the finest examples of their type. They are accurate in
|
|
every detail, even to the stenciling on the walls. The costuming is also
|
|
pleasing to the eye, especially the hoop skirts and old fashioned dresses of
|
|
the ladies. The men also wear the clothes of the period, but modern Broadway
|
|
haircuts were not in style in the "sixties," neither do we expect to see
|
|
soldiers in time of war in spotless uniforms. The exteriors are of
|
|
considerable natural beauty, and this is greatly enhanced by the excellence
|
|
of the camera work. The action is very slow, except for the chase after the
|
|
spy and the collapse of the bridge. This is a real thriller. The plot is so
|
|
torte and unconvincing that it needs little comment. The idea of the
|
|
heroine, distinguishing herself as a boy and still retaining ladylike
|
|
characteristics, is so palpably artificial that it would not convince a
|
|
child. It is upon this that the semblance of a plot is constructed. The
|
|
cast is satisfactory...
|
|
|
|
October 21, 1916
|
|
MOTION PICTURE NEWS
|
|
...Miss Martin masquerading in boy's clothes is delightfully attractive,
|
|
although we must confess that the characters in the picture who were fooled
|
|
by her disguise should never be allowed to roam about New York. Some one
|
|
might sell them Times Square or the subway...We strongly recommend this to
|
|
the exhibitor who wants a good five-reel comedy-drama. There is little that
|
|
is gruesome or dark about it, and there is much that is extremely humorous...
|
|
|
|
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
|
|
|
|
Redeeming Love
|
|
January 6, 1917
|
|
EXHIBITOR'S TRADE REVIEW
|
|
This photo-drama, which serves to introduce Kathlyn Williams to the
|
|
Paramount program, has been well done. The story is told with the right
|
|
amount of suspense; the acting and the atmosphere are excellent. The
|
|
interior sets, showing the gambling house, are very elaborate, excellently
|
|
constructed and decorated with lavishness. Miss Williams displays marked
|
|
ability in this drama, playing the country girl with charm and sweetness, and
|
|
the gambling queen as a blase woman of the world. The contrast is quite
|
|
remarkable, and will be highly appreciated by the followers of this actress.
|
|
Thomas Holding as the minister plays a difficult part in excellent fashion,
|
|
while the balance of the cast does full justice to a good story, which has
|
|
been mighty well directed. One big thrill in this picture shows a large
|
|
touring car dash over a cliff into the sea. This has been well done, the
|
|
fight in the machine just previous to the accident and the actual fall being
|
|
realistic in the extreme.
|
|
|
|
January 13, 1917
|
|
MOVING PICTURE WORLD
|
|
Gardner Hunting, in his adaptation of the story of I. V. Jefferson, has
|
|
in "Redeeming Love," the Morosco release of December 28, given us a script
|
|
with a distinct literary quality. The titles are a thing apart. If in
|
|
reading them you note that the words remain on the screen so long that they
|
|
may be reread, you do not, as usually may be the case, give vent to a growl,
|
|
but reread them with a hearty appreciation of the literary skill of the man
|
|
who conceived them. An example in point is the remark of the gambler
|
|
libertine who has induced the young church member to elope. It is the
|
|
morning after, and the girl, fearing she has been deceived, inquired how soon
|
|
the marriage ceremony is to be performed. "Why worry over a mouthful of
|
|
words and a scrap of paper?" asks her seducer. Disregarding the ethics
|
|
involved, there is terseness, a revelation of a point of view. The
|
|
production of "Redeeming Love," which was made under the hand and eye of
|
|
William Taylor, does not depend upon the language of the titles, which as a
|
|
matter of fact also are notable for their insight into or rather reflection
|
|
of the mind of an earnest, sincere minister of the gospel. There is a real
|
|
story, finely woven and of genuine interest. The picture is elaborately
|
|
staged--the interior of the gambling house owned by the woman in the case
|
|
being remarkable for its size and appointments. The titles, too, are
|
|
excellent examples of illuminative work... "Redeeming Love" is a good all-
|
|
around picture, one that will especially appeal to a high-class clientele.
|
|
|
|
January 13, 1917
|
|
MOTION PICTURE NEWS
|
|
...The picture is a playing together of opposite types, the man of God
|
|
and the woman of the world, who is redeemed, being in startling contrast as
|
|
characters. Whether the picture will be accepted as a big offering will
|
|
depend entirely upon the character of audiences receiving it. The role of a
|
|
minister of the gospel is always a difficult one to make perfectly natural in
|
|
pictures, and one the sympathy with which will vary. That the audience will
|
|
sympathize with the heroine, which role is capitally handled by Miss
|
|
Williams, there can be no doubt. She is wronged, and rather than take the
|
|
usual way of correcting her past error, according to story books, and bearing
|
|
the woman's burden for wrong done, she takes the advice of a haggard derelict
|
|
who warns her to live fast and accumulate money, for her beauty will soon
|
|
fade. She accumulates money by her wits and beauty, and when she has framed
|
|
the lover of her girlish days into leaving unguarded a hundred thousand
|
|
dollar fund in his personal care, she repents, and uses her own ill-gotten
|
|
wealth to replace the fund stolen by her confederates. This is the redeeming
|
|
love, and she is washed of her sins by it. The story is impressive, but
|
|
except in the detail of the working out, is not new. There is hardly a
|
|
really novel idea used, so that it depends entirely on the pleasing work of
|
|
Miss Williams and Mr. Holding to get it over. It may or may not appeal to
|
|
audiences, according to the class of patronage to which it is shown. The big
|
|
theme, which of course can be used ten thousand times and not lose its
|
|
effectiveness in story or picture, is the religious one. But the "best
|
|
sellers" among novels are not those with religious theme, and we doubt if
|
|
this picture will prove a box-office success.
|
|
|
|
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
|
|
|
|
Happiness of Three Women
|
|
January 20, 1917
|
|
EXHIBITOR'S TRADE REVIEW
|
|
"The Happiness of Three Women" is a splendidly produced picture
|
|
unfolding a plot that is from a standpoint of construction an admirable
|
|
effort. The story develops its complications convincingly, and the manner in
|
|
which one incident dovetails into another is an adroit bit of story building.
|
|
But one must regret that the material so finely woven was not of a more
|
|
substantial nature. Fundamentally, "The Happiness of Three Women" is quite
|
|
insignificant. The two important characters are drawn into complications
|
|
because there is a jealous husband, who for all his threats seems incapable
|
|
of becoming really harmful, and the complication results from a night
|
|
watchman's word that the respected bank cashier is a crook. The reason that
|
|
"The Happiness of Three Women" will provide an agreeable evening's
|
|
entertainment is found in the handsome and colorful mounting given the
|
|
scenario, and the excellent photography..."The Happiness of Three Women"
|
|
proceeds seriously from premises that are ordinarily the source of light
|
|
comedy. There is little really dramatic in the play, but a remarkably pretty
|
|
setting and some flashes of night photography immeasurably enhance a thin
|
|
story which, fortunately, has well-paced action.
|
|
|
|
January 27, 1917
|
|
MOVING PICTURE WORLD
|
|
There are three heroes, as well as a trio of heroines, in the Oliver
|
|
Morosco photoplay, "The Happiness of Three Women." The theme, for this
|
|
reason, is unique, and Albert Payson Terhune, the author, has dovetailed the
|
|
different interests together very deftly. In fact, the twists and turns of
|
|
plot recall the workings of a French farce, and admiration for the neatness
|
|
with which the dramatist gets his three sets of loving hearts in and out of
|
|
trouble occasionally outweighs the human interest in the play. "The
|
|
Happiness of Three Women" is not easy to classify. It starts off,
|
|
apparently, as a comedy, an innocent enough motor ride taken by a married
|
|
woman and a former sweetheart being the first complication. A note of real
|
|
drama gets into it, however, when the husband of one of the other heroines is
|
|
accused of robbing a bank, and the auto riders, who can prove an alibi for
|
|
him, dare not speak for fear of compromising themselves. The result, which
|
|
is never very much in doubt, admits of a number of clever complications
|
|
before it is worked out to the satisfaction of all concerned and the three
|
|
sets of loving hearts once more beat in happy unison...The production is in
|
|
keeping with the demands for generous and expert settings for the scenes.
|
|
|
|
January 20, 1917
|
|
NEW YORK DRAMATIC MIRROR
|
|
In this half-serious, half-amusing and wholly entertaining drama we find
|
|
a handsome hero in the delicate predicament of having the happiness of three
|
|
women depend on his testimony. It is an ingenious arrangement of a plot
|
|
which serves to demonstrate how completely our lives are interwoven with our
|
|
neighbors, and how our most casual act may affect the destiny of the family
|
|
next door...The piece was adequately staged with a number of particularly
|
|
effective scenes in the midnight joy ride. It is unfortunate that an author
|
|
with skill enough to write a scenario of this type should permit it to appear
|
|
under such a clumsy and meaningless title. Surely it would be possible to
|
|
find another which would do justice to its really unusual and ingenious plot.
|
|
|
|
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
|
|
|
|
Out of the Wreck
|
|
March 17, 1917
|
|
EXHIBITOR'S TRADE REVIEW
|
|
In "Out of the Wreck," Kathlyn Williams, supported by an admirable
|
|
production, struggles with a part that is central in a story quite dark in
|
|
tone and ordinary in its effects. The scenario, which provides a play within
|
|
a play, develops realistically--potentially that is--a plot that never
|
|
becomes anything more than a mere plot. The author's manipulation of the
|
|
material is rather good, but all freshness has passed from these stories of a
|
|
young woman trying to be good and finally being deceived by a man, who after
|
|
the marriage reveals himself as a drinker and the possessor of other evil
|
|
traits carefully concealed during the courtship...The settings and
|
|
photography are excellent in every respect. Such a handsome production
|
|
should afford audiences pleasure of a high degree. Certainly, the pictorial
|
|
quality of the scenes help somewhat in lightening the effect of action
|
|
greatly requiring a bit of brightness.
|
|
|
|
March 17, 1917
|
|
NEW YORK DRAMATIC MIRROR
|
|
"Out of the Wreck" is supposed to present so powerful and touching a
|
|
story that it melts even the fey heart of a newspaper woman and causes a
|
|
hardened reporter to "kill" a choice scandal that was to be featured in scare-
|
|
heads in his paper. As a matter of fact, it is a sob sister melodrama of the
|
|
most tearful variety with a heroine who revels in deeper and deeper woes
|
|
until she finally weeps herself back to happiness...Kathlyn Williams did her
|
|
best with this lacrimose role and managed to infuse sincerity into the
|
|
exaggerated situations...An old-fashioned melodrama of this type seems rather
|
|
a divergence from the usual Paramount standard, but it will undoubtedly
|
|
appeal to the lover of sensationalism.
|
|
|
|
March 24, 1917
|
|
MOTION PICTURE NEWS
|
|
The first impression of this picture is that it is entirely out of the
|
|
class of other Paramount productions. It is a curious interweaving of
|
|
magnificent scenic and artistic embellishment, common to all Morosco
|
|
productions, with excellent and dignified acting by Kathlyn Williams, with
|
|
the "Ten Nights in a Bar Room" type of melodrama, and something seems to be
|
|
wrong...the story becomes commonplace and roughly melodramatic, with an
|
|
appeal that it seems to us the intelligent audience accustomed to Paramount
|
|
pictures will not get at all. We may be wrong, but the woman bullied around
|
|
by a drunken brute, with no earthly reason shown why she should not leave him
|
|
and seek protection in the resumption of an independent life, which she was
|
|
leading before he met her, does not appeal to us with real sympathy. We are
|
|
horrified, yes. We appreciate the struggle and the tense acting of Miss
|
|
Williams. We are thrilled when she finally kills him rather than be brained
|
|
by his drunken assault. With a too obvious attempt at "something different,"
|
|
the obvious plea of "self-defense" is not used, but she is acquitted by a
|
|
jury "believing in the unwritten law." Miss Williams saves the picture from
|
|
being ordinary...
|
|
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
|
|
|
|
The World Apart
|
|
|
|
June 9, 1917
|
|
MOTION PICTURE NEWS
|
|
This story, by George Middleton, gives Wallace Reid a chance to show his
|
|
physical prowess again by rescuing a dance hall girl from the too violent
|
|
attentions of the dance hall owner, and again by a fight in the dark with the
|
|
villain of the piece, who has turned burglar. These "punches" are furnished
|
|
at the beginning and the end of a well-knit heart-interest theme, using the
|
|
always available worthy young man protecting the girl from the worthless
|
|
skunk situation as its main idea...Wallace Reid does the best he can with a
|
|
colorless role. The hero can use his fists, and that saves the story from
|
|
being very flat. The villain's only variety of accomplishments as shown in
|
|
the picture are losing money at poker games and falsifying bank accounts in a
|
|
way so crude he appears to be very stupid--not even an interesting villain.
|
|
We don't mean to say this is not good entertainment. For remember there is a
|
|
punch at the beginning and the end of the five reels. And Miss Stedman is a
|
|
sweet heroine, and John Burton does all he can to make a good villain part
|
|
out of little. We like the acting and the production, but the story is weak.
|
|
Without the clever Morosco titles and big mining camp scenes and other things
|
|
that make us forget it is only an average story, we would say it was a very
|
|
ordinary offering...
|
|
June 9, 1917
|
|
MOVING PICTURE WORLD
|
|
...One detail mars the work of the producer. By some inexplicable
|
|
oversight an excessively vulgar picture has been used as a wall decoration in
|
|
one of the scenes.
|
|
|
|
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
|
|
|
|
Big Timber
|
|
July 7, 1917
|
|
EXHIBITOR'S TRADE REVIEW
|
|
"Big Timber" appeals to the spectator's eye, for the play unfolds in a
|
|
picturesque locale and photography of an exceptionally rich quality reveals
|
|
numerous scenes having pictorial beauty. The scenario is well constructed,
|
|
and while it sets forth no characters or dramatic incidents that are not
|
|
familiar to the average picture-goer, there is a continuous thread of
|
|
interest. Kathlyn Williams, who co-stars with Wallace Reid, has a vehicle
|
|
that is in every respect superior to the last two or three pictures in which
|
|
she has appeared on the Paramount program. Wallace Reid, in a part that
|
|
makes him middle-aged, is not in the least hampered by a mustache and gray
|
|
hair. A melodramatic love romance, "Big Timber" deals with characters that
|
|
look real and yet are not doers of convincing things...The forest fire is
|
|
realistic. In this portion of the play the director gave the scenes
|
|
considerable momentum and they move ahead at a fast and exciting pace. If it
|
|
is nothing else "Big Timber" is reliable. For while few will be deeply
|
|
impressed nearly all will be completely satisfied with the picture.
|
|
|
|
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
|
|
|
|
The Varmint
|
|
August 18, 1917
|
|
EXHIBITOR'S TRADE REVIEW
|
|
The many readers who have followed the doings of such characters as Doc
|
|
MacNooder, the Tennessee Shad, The Roman, and The Varmint in Owen Johnson's
|
|
serial stories in the Saturday Evening Post will more than enjoy seeing these
|
|
true-to-life principals on the screen in a production brimming over with
|
|
human interest. While this story is a typical boy's story and will have its
|
|
greatest appeal among those of college years, still many others, especially
|
|
those older heads whose school life is only a recollection, will receive this
|
|
production as an entertainment of quality. How this lad entered a school
|
|
with the express purpose of making things hum and how the professor took all
|
|
of this right out of his make-up and made a man of him forms a study in
|
|
psychology that is indeed interesting in the extreme. A most notable point
|
|
of the story is the splendidly worked in contrast consisting of the love
|
|
affair of the Varmint for the professor's daughter. Had this not been
|
|
injected the story might have become monotonous, owing to the abundance of
|
|
school life and boyish pranks, but this little sidelight acts as a seasoning
|
|
and is offered in such a pleasing way that it gives a tinge of originality to
|
|
the whole production. It is not of the "slobber" love variety but a truly
|
|
realistic and wholesome attachment between the lad and the girl. The
|
|
photography and the direction are presented in the usual style found in
|
|
Paramount offerings. The atmosphere has been well maintained with nothing
|
|
omitted that would in any way hinder the interest in the story...The types
|
|
are all carefully selected and the sets and locations nearly perfect in every
|
|
detail. "The Varmint" will undoubtedly take its place alongside many other
|
|
Paramount successes, and it will more than please those fans who are looking
|
|
for clean, wholesome and entertaining stories.
|
|
|
|
August 25, 1917
|
|
MOVING PICTURE WORLD
|
|
Readers of "The Varmint," the Owen Johnson story of college life that
|
|
first appeared in the Saturday Evening Post, will welcome it in picture form.
|
|
Gardner Hunting has made a five-part screen version, which Jesse L. Lasky has
|
|
produced, the picture being under the direction of Wm. D. Taylor. Much of
|
|
the story will appeal to the average patron of the screen. Allusions in the
|
|
class room scenes to certain advanced points in grammar may be a trifle
|
|
mystifying to those who have not known the advantages of a college education,
|
|
but everyone will understand and relish the football game in which the hero
|
|
figures, and the game fight he puts up against the entire school. The
|
|
character of "The Varmint," christened John Humperdink Stover, has been
|
|
faithfully and amusingly drawn by Owen Johnson, and the pranks of the plucky
|
|
little braggart and his companions will be recognized as part and parcel of a
|
|
college boy's experiences...The picture has been skillfully produced, but
|
|
will owe a large measure of its success to young Jack Pickford. He suits the
|
|
part of J. H. Stover, and consequently has little difficulty in bringing out
|
|
"The Varmint's" best and worst points...
|
|
|
|
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
|
|
|
|
North of Fifty-Three
|
|
October 6, 1917
|
|
EXHIBITOR'S TRADE REVIEW
|
|
Splendid snow scenes and photography, together with a story with plenty
|
|
of action and thrills, make this production a worthy attraction for the Fox
|
|
program. It is a story of the great Northwest and as such offers that quick
|
|
action and thrills that are usually found in stories of this kind. In
|
|
addition to the excitement and deep-rooted suspense, there runs through the
|
|
story an appealing vein of human interest which is very noticeable contrasted
|
|
with a trend of comedy. These four elements, namely, action, thrills, heart
|
|
appeal and comedy, are all woven into a story that will afford the majority
|
|
of picture fans with an entertainment of unquestioned value. The wide
|
|
expanse of snow scenes, the long photographic shots, and the artistic
|
|
photography certainly afford a very pleasing and valuable background to the
|
|
story. The details have been carefully looked after and the atmosphere
|
|
thoroughly consistent throughout..."North of Fifty Three" is a virile drama
|
|
of the great Northwest and can be played to almost any class of audience. It
|
|
has a good story, full of ginger and heart interest, and furthermore, it
|
|
supplies a star of exceptional box-office value. It will without a doubt be
|
|
a big boost for the Fox program.
|
|
|
|
June 9, 1917
|
|
MOVING PICTURE WORLD
|
|
The recent Fox five-reel picture, "North of Fifty-Three," has the
|
|
quality usually found in the cave man love stories and it seems to this
|
|
reviewer that it is a little franker and a little rougher than the usual film
|
|
of its kind. This is partly because the script doesn't take enough pains to
|
|
develop the character of "Roaring Bill," played by Dustin Farnum, and to make
|
|
the spectator enough of a partisan for him. The story opens with a scene in
|
|
which we see him fondling children; but that is before we know what it is
|
|
for, and the incident fails to sink deep into consciousness. He enjoys a
|
|
fight; he goes 50-50 on a gold mine with a poor lunger just because the sick
|
|
man can put up a stiff fight, and we can see that he has a bluff and hearty
|
|
way with them. Then he steals the girl right out of her room at the boarding
|
|
house and carries her off to the cabin in the mountains. The girl is taken
|
|
by Winifred Kingston, but she does too little acting and her unconvincing
|
|
attitudes rob the picture of effectiveness on her side. Yet the picture is
|
|
real to this extent that, as nitrate acid always makes nitrate of silver on
|
|
silver, so this picture will affect audiences as cave man stories are wont to
|
|
do, and will do it markedly. This is what the picture is worth to the
|
|
exhibitor who considers his audience. One of the picture's big assets is the
|
|
background characters, of which there are many kinds, and nearly all good.
|
|
Then it has some mighty fine natural backgrounds and sets. The acting, with
|
|
the exception of the leading woman, is excellent. The young actress tries
|
|
her best and is intelligent, but unimaginative. She will be better able to
|
|
act a grown woman's knowledge of life when she is a few years older--how can
|
|
she expect to do so before? The plot is clear. Its introduction scenes are
|
|
not needed, are not made use of in the plot, and are rather unconvincing, and
|
|
the same is true of the final denouement. It is a picture more apt to please
|
|
men than women, or so it seems to this reviewer, and he is not certain on
|
|
this point by any means.
|
|
|
|
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
|
|
|
|
Jack and Jill
|
|
December 1, 1917
|
|
MOVING PICTURE WORLD
|
|
It all goes to show you cannot with accuracy prejudge a picture by its
|
|
name. If the title of "Jack and Jill" does not ring any bells in the back of
|
|
your head disregard the absence of the indefinable signals which sometime
|
|
indicate to one how a certain picture is going to appeal to him. The story
|
|
is of a boy and girl native to the pavements of N'Yawk, as the pair express
|
|
it. It contains punches--two distinct kinds--the literal as well as the
|
|
figurative. Those in the former category are administered with liberality
|
|
all through the course of the story, and always where they will do the most
|
|
good, also seemingly only when they are necessary. Jack Ranney discovers
|
|
that in his good right there is a healthy wallop, and following the
|
|
revelation matters begin to brighten up for him as well as for the faithful
|
|
Jill. The action gives Jack Pickford a chance to show what he has acquired
|
|
in the way of handling his mitts. The working out is not a glorification of
|
|
the bruiser. Rather is it a demonstration of a young man starting out in
|
|
life not on the most desirable lines and shifting over to a career which
|
|
promises better for his future usefulness...The story opens in New York and
|
|
shifts to Texas. There are stirring scenes in each locale--in the prize
|
|
fight in which Jack gets the decision in the first round when its crooked
|
|
managers had not calculated to let him win until the fourth, the attempt to
|
|
ride the bucking animal, the "kidding matches" in the saloon, the attack on
|
|
the ranch, and the battle with the invaders in which Jack does remarkable
|
|
execution. The western atmosphere is full of appeal. Director William D.
|
|
Taylor gives us big fields of desert, mountain and plain, scenes that will
|
|
make for the popularity of the picture in countries other than the United
|
|
States...It is a good cast and the picture is well made.
|
|
|
|
November 24, 1917
|
|
NEW YORK DRAMATIC MIRROR
|
|
"Jack and Jill" embraces a tale that might be considered a typical
|
|
motion picture story. This is not said in any derogatory sense. Quite the
|
|
contrary, the story is of a type that lends itself especially to
|
|
visualization and has the unmistakable appearance of being written solely for
|
|
the screen. It is simple, human, rife with action and has general
|
|
appeal...The director has staged the production timely in every detail.
|
|
Where the locale of the story is situated in New York slums, or the fight
|
|
club, natural atmosphere has been established and when the spectator is taken
|
|
out West a typical ranch with beautiful surrounding scenery has been chosen
|
|
for a background. The pace of the action, which is rapid, is well
|
|
maintained. Jack Pickford immediately wins the sympathy of the audience in
|
|
the role of the fighter and throughout the picture he acts with ability...
|
|
|
|
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
|
|
|
|
Tom Sawyer
|
|
December 22, 1917
|
|
MOVING PICTURE WORLD
|
|
As a photodrama "Tom Sawyer" is bound to arouse high expectations, and
|
|
it is on that very account no easy proposition, but the screen version has
|
|
been constructed with skill; the handling is in fine harmony with the mood of
|
|
the story, exquisite in some of the details, and Jack Pickford responds to
|
|
his opportunities so creditably that he completely won a large audience at
|
|
the Strand by his performance. This is saying a great deal when it is
|
|
considered that a very large number of people in the average audience are
|
|
familiar with the principal scenes in the story and have formulated some
|
|
preconceived ideas of their own how it should be presented...The atmosphere
|
|
of the story is most perfectly preserved in the scenes depicting the
|
|
gatherings of townspeople at the meeting house. The selection of church and
|
|
street; the care shown in costumes and the absence of theatrical exaggeration
|
|
completes a delightful illusion. We are not looking at a screen story--we
|
|
are transported to the time and place of an actual experience and are
|
|
participants in the events. This is truly high art, the more creditable that
|
|
it must have been difficult to preserve so perfect an atmosphere. Even
|
|
genuine sternwheel river boats are used when a search is made for the bodies
|
|
of Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, and a boon companion, at a time they were camping
|
|
out on one of the low-lying islands of the Mississippi River. Besides
|
|
fidelity and good taste in settings and exteriors, the director has added
|
|
greatly to the general sum of values by amusing bits of psychology among the
|
|
various types. The types have been well-chosen as a rule, and Jack Pickford
|
|
carries his difficult role by sheer force of personality. He rivals the
|
|
bright subtitles in provoking laughter and is conscientious in every moment
|
|
of his impersonation. It is true that interest centers entirely on the
|
|
characterization of the lead, relegating the balance of an excellent cast to
|
|
the background, but his chances for error are correspondingly great, and he
|
|
sails serenely through them all. The entire production will prove a big
|
|
winner wherever shown and give satisfaction to those who look for a revival
|
|
of interest in what has come to be an American classic.
|
|
|
|
December 15, 1917
|
|
NEW YORK DRAMATIC MIRROR
|
|
...Jack Pickford seems to have caught the exact spirit of the part of
|
|
Tom Sawyer, and he has painted a portrait that is delightful. Little
|
|
artistic touches here and there added to a comprehensive understanding of the
|
|
difficult role and appearance that carries out the preconceived notion of how
|
|
Tom should look fairly brings the boy to life again. The supporting players
|
|
are excellent and they add a deal of enjoyment to the picture. A careful
|
|
choice of types has been made and the costumes are picturesque. "Tom Sawyer"
|
|
was photographed in natural surroundings. That is to say all the scenes were
|
|
taken in Hannibal, Mo., where Mark Twain laid the story and some of the
|
|
houses and their adjoining yards have remained the same and appear in the
|
|
picture. The atmosphere this gives can be appreciated. The director has
|
|
arranged the action at an even pace, and although the story is more or less
|
|
episodic, continuity has been established and retained. The detail work, in
|
|
the interior scenes and where it has become necessary to place some
|
|
properties in the exteriors, is an invaluable feature of the film. "Tom
|
|
Sawyer" is among the notable screen achievements of the year. That it will
|
|
draw capacity houses is certain. The manner in which the picture should be
|
|
advertised is obvious.
|
|
|
|
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
|
|
|
|
The Spirit of '17
|
|
February 2, 1918
|
|
EXHIBITOR'S TRADE REVIEW
|
|
The patriotic appeal is the dominant feature of this production and will
|
|
be the point that exhibitors will find to be its drawing factor. Whatever is
|
|
found lacking in the consistent action of the story or the lack of novelty in
|
|
the plot itself, there still exists that sympathetic touch and human interest
|
|
that supplies the proper holding power. The sympathy is derived mainly from
|
|
the use of about one hundred Civil War veterans. This in itself will excite
|
|
the sympathy of the patrons and furthermore the very sight of them still
|
|
offering their services for their country adds a touch of patriotism that
|
|
will stir an audience's emotions. Upon this fact then rests the entertaining
|
|
possibilities of the photoplay. The sets and detail work are of the typical
|
|
Paramount standard. The atmosphere has been well maintained and the
|
|
photographic work worthy of every praise. The cast likewise is
|
|
exceptional...
|
|
|
|
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
|
|
|
|
Huck and Tom
|
|
March 16, 1918
|
|
EXHIBITOR'S TRADE REVIEW
|
|
"Huck and Tom," the further adventures of Tom Sawyer, strikes a new note
|
|
for clean and wholesome entertainment. As in Tom Sawyer it is the human and
|
|
natural touches upon which the success of this story depends. It's the
|
|
adventures of a real boy and as such carries all of the necessary elements to
|
|
appeal to the better class of picture audience. It does not depend to any
|
|
great extent upon the imaginative, but offers in a simple yet interesting
|
|
manner a story that is replete throughout with pathos and action. This is
|
|
one of those stories that entertains by bringing up recollections of earlier
|
|
days, especially with the more mature patrons, and when a story is able to do
|
|
this there can be no denying the interest that it will arouse. The director
|
|
has supplied a number of quaint human touches that blend in a consistent
|
|
manner with the general appeal of the story. The details have been carefully
|
|
carried out and the atmosphere well maintained from the first to the last.
|
|
The capable direction has produced an even continuity that means much to the
|
|
value of the photodrama...The distinct humanness of this story makes it a
|
|
desirable entertainment for the better class of patronage. It has action,
|
|
suspense and thrills, and linked together with a well defined heart interest
|
|
supplies the Paramount program with an exceptional attraction and will prove
|
|
a strong box office attraction for the exhibitor.
|
|
|
|
March 16, 1918
|
|
MOTION PICTURE NEWS
|
|
"Tom Sawyer" in picture form dealt only in part with Mark Twain's story
|
|
of the same name, and so the producers saw fit to make another feature out of
|
|
the remainder of the book. So here we have "Huck and Tom," a delightful
|
|
comedy of youthful experiences, adventure and fun, breathing the atmosphere
|
|
of our former days and consequently full worthy to bear the name of its
|
|
distinguished and popular author. Its humor is so real in its reflection of
|
|
young America's life and its spirit of adventure so sustaining that the
|
|
writer is inclined to pass them by--dismiss them with the single remark,
|
|
"sure-fire," and dwell with emphasis on the perfect atmosphere which Director
|
|
William D. Taylor has injected into his picture. Mark Twain laid the scenes
|
|
of Tom Sawyer's activities in Hannibal, Missouri, on the Mississippi River,
|
|
and whether or not the picture company journeyed there to secure the desired
|
|
locations, the fact remains that more suitable ones could not have been
|
|
found. From the main street of the drowsy town to the home of the Sawyer
|
|
children, a typical home of a family in modern circumstances, from the
|
|
ghostly old grave-yard to the painted cave, from the deserted house on the
|
|
outskirts of the town to the country court room, there is never a note struck
|
|
that fails to resound with realism. This atmosphere, together with the
|
|
costumes of the former generation, serve to transport the spectator from his
|
|
theatre chair and set him down in the Hannibal of which Mark Twain wrote, in
|
|
spirit at least...If the exhibitor has shown "Tom Sawyer," his further
|
|
adventures as set down in "Huck and Tom" should certainly be served for the
|
|
further delectation of his patrons, but let it be understood that the present
|
|
picture is complete in every detail in itself--an ideal entertainment with or
|
|
without its companion piece.
|
|
|
|
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
|
|
|
|
His Majesty Bunker Bean
|
|
April 13, 1918
|
|
EXHIBITOR'S TRADE REVIEW
|
|
Those who have read and reveled in the pages of the novel which forms
|
|
the basis of this feature will be thoroughly pleased with its screen version.
|
|
And movie patrons who have not had the pleasure of perusing the story will
|
|
probably welcome its humorous situations with equal zest. There is but one
|
|
fault to be found with the picturization of this well-known tale by one of
|
|
America's most popular authors. Which is the introduction of a lot of wholly
|
|
unnecessary slapstick comedy in the scenes aboard ship, when the hero, his
|
|
bride and family are en route for Paris. Neither the book nor the stage play
|
|
which followed the publication of the story in serial form in the Saturday
|
|
Evening Post laid stress on the ocean trip, and why the continuity writer
|
|
should have seen fit to add superfluous material to the witty inspirations of
|
|
Harry Leon Wilson remains an unsolved mystery. Louise Huff, in the role of
|
|
the flapper heroine, is at all times dainty and bewitching. Jack Pickford
|
|
plays the part of Bunker Bean to the very life, and his impersonation of that
|
|
timid convert to the creed of reincarnation is a study in psychology which
|
|
ranks as one of the best roles in which he has yet appeared on the screen.
|
|
Miss Huff acts with such brilliancy and enters so thoroughly into the spirit
|
|
of her part that she is responsible for much of the picture's success...The
|
|
photography leaves nothing to be desired. Handsome interiors, clever long
|
|
shots, and fine lighting effects combine to make the feature an artistic
|
|
camera triumph. It is a bright, lively comedy.
|
|
|
|
April 20, 1918
|
|
MOVING PICTURE WORLD
|
|
Humor of an unusual and refreshing brand makes up the greater portion of
|
|
the Famous Players-Lasky production of Harry Leon Wilson's story, "His
|
|
Majesty, Bunker Bean." This five-part picture was put into scenario form by
|
|
Julia Crawford Ivers and is not above criticism as a piece of construction,
|
|
but the comic bent of the characters and their doings and the acting of Jack
|
|
Pickford and his associates conceal most of the picture's faults of play
|
|
building. The serious situation in the book where Jack discovers that he has
|
|
been cheated by the fortune teller and his mummy is stuffed with straw
|
|
becomes comedy in the picture, which is quite proper. Everyone is going to
|
|
laugh at a young noodle who sits up the night before his wedding worrying
|
|
over a mummy when he has such an attractive bride-to-be as The Flapper,
|
|
impersonated by Louise Huff...William D. Taylor has directed the picture
|
|
cleverly. Jack Pickford is a likable and humorously effective Bunker Bean.
|
|
The wistful note that makes Charlie Chaplin's comedy so human is also present
|
|
in young Mr. Pickford's work. This actor has the touch of quaint pathos that
|
|
is so valuable to the real comedian...
|
|
|
|
April 20, 1919
|
|
MOTION PICTURE NEWS
|
|
Improper subtitling has, to my mind, spoiled this picture, as it does
|
|
not give the story a proper continuity. The impression you get is that the
|
|
different scenes have no connection whatever with each other and unless you
|
|
know the story it is difficult to understand the picture. It reminded me of
|
|
old days when we had about twenty different subjects on a single reel...The
|
|
star's acting is good, Louis Huff, as usual, very good. Director William D.
|
|
Taylor did his best and with proper subtitling this picture could be classed
|
|
as one of Paramount's best. It may please as it is, but you are bound to
|
|
receive kicks. Picture is clean.
|
|
|
|
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
|
|
(More reviews next issue)
|
|
*****************************************************************************
|
|
*****************************************************************************
|
|
Back issues of Taylorology are available on the Web at any of the following:
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http://www.angelfire.com/az/Taylorology/
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http://www.etext.org/Zines/ASCII/Taylorology/
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http://www.silent-movies.com/Taylorology/
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Full text searches of back issues can be done at http://www.etext.org/Zines/
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or at http://www.silent-movies.com/search.html. For more information about
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Taylor, see
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WILLIAM DESMOND TAYLOR: A DOSSIER (Scarecrow Press, 1991)
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